Kate Beckinsale Total Recall Interview (Video)

Kate Beckinsale Talks Teaming Up With Her Husband on Total Recall

Kate Beckinsale may have been a last-minute addition to the Total Recall cast, but the actress more than holds her own in her intense onscreen battles with costars Colin Farrell and Jessica Biel. While Kate told us she actually met Colin just before shooting their first fight scene, she was already quite familiar with the film's director, Len Wiseman, who happens to be her husband. Hear what Kate has to say about the pros and the pitfalls of working with her significant other in our interview, and catch Total Recall in theaters on Friday.

which would be a little bit as play with each other 'cause you know each other a lot better. Sailing towards his face. Hello, I'm Kate. Anyway, that was an icebreaker.
So tell me a little bit about working with your husband? You guys have worked together on several film.What is the best part, what is the hardest part?
Well, this is our third film. So, the first movie when I met him, I didn't know him at all. And, we weren't together and we weren't married. And the second movie I think we'd been married a year and this time we've been married seven years. So there was quite a big difference from the first movie to this one.
I think we're probably a little bit polite with each other because we know each other a lot better.
Right.
And the big, huge difference actually more than anything was that I was not the lead in begin. It's a very important relationship. The leading lady and the director have to be the husband and wife of the set. So, I've always been that before. Didn't happen to be husband and wife And this time I felt that it was really important to conceive that to Colin because Colin was in every single day, you know and and they're really great friends.
It was a slightly different feeling. And I think where Colin would go, "Oh my gosh I've got this scene tomorrow, and I want to talk about this line." And, he'd call Len up, I wouldn't be able to do that because I think, "Oh, my gosh, Lenny's got a migraine. He's got a huge shot and he's planning next week." No, it does make you a bit more tentative to bug the director when you know what's happening back stage kind of thing.
Yeah. And how did you react when he said, you know, I think you'd be great in this role as this like brutal kind of horrible woman?
Well, I was offended at first and then I read the script and I thought, you know, this is such a wonderful part. It was very, you know, it was obviously really flattered and excited that he wanted me to do it. But, yeah, when you say it out loud it doesn't sound that great.
Right. I think it was really fun to get the opportunity to play the bad guy for one.
Yes, it really was and I think particularly this This bad guy. She doesn't she's a bad guy, she's just a bit unbalanced.
Right.
And she has motives she thinks are good, but I think everyone else can tell she's a nuts.
Right . Now you go head to head with Colin and Jessica quite a bit in this movie. Who was more of a challenging adversary for those action sequences? Gosh, probably Jessica, just because I was so worried about if she had a black eye.
Right.
I feel that would be even worse. And Colin. Even though it wouldn't. They both have to work this feels less when someone so pretty.
Yeah, it's that. What was the choreography and training like for some of those scenes? I'm especially thinking of the one between you and Colin at your apartment?
Well, it was weird because I think it was the first or second that we met even.
And he went right into it.
Right into it. Sailing towards his face with my crotch. It was this big, "Hello, I'm Kate". Anyway, yeah so that was an ice breaker. It was a little bit hair raising for me because I didn't I wasn't available to do the movie for a long time.
Right.
And so I didn't think I was doing it. And then I think our dates shifted just a little bit and it was about two weeks' notice.
Wow.
And I was on another movie until four days before so there wasn't this kind of really long training period that you usually have. I had the same stunt coordinator in both movies thank goodness no he was able to teach me a bit but it definitely added a kind of slight panic hysteria to it which ultimately I think it was quite helpful cause' the character is so crazy.
Right.
And out of control that It worked really well, but it was a bit terrifying.